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Elderly City Woman's 1957 Milestone Lauded by
Mamie Eisenhower

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Bob Cox, Johnson City Press, 08-18-2008

Paul Gill, a former resident of Johnson City, sent me a
package chocked full of documentation about his family history
that has numerous links to the city’s past. One story in
particular caught my attention; it deals with the 93rd
birthday of Tenna Sherfey Leighton, Paul’s aunt, on August 17,
1957. She was born on August 17, 1864, eight months before the
Civil War ended.

This was a memorable occasion for the 1410 East Unaka
Avenue resident. While opening her many congratulatory cards
that arrived in the mailbox that week, she was astonished to
find one with a return address of “The White House,
Washington.” The sender of the correspondence was Mamie
Eisenhower, wife of the 34th president of the United States.
The First Lady penned the letter just prior to her entering a
DC hospital.

Mrs. Eisenhower congratulated the elderly citizen on her
milestone: “Dear Mrs. Leighton: It is a pleasure for me to
extend warm and cordial congratulations on your approaching
birthday on August 17. May peace and happiness be yours in
abundance in the years to come.” The president’s wife learned
of Tenna’s accomplishment from Sherfey Hodges, a great-nephew
of hers and retired Naval officer. He wrote Mrs. Eisenhower
and made the request of her. Mrs. Leighton was so delighted
with the letter that she took it to her church, the First
Church of the Brethren, and showed it to her pastor, the Rev.
B.J. Wampler, who, in turn, read it to his congregation.

Not to overlook this act of kindness by Mrs. Eisenhower,
Mrs. Leighton sent a “thank you” note to the White House. When
asked what she wrote, she responded: “I thanked her and sent
her my best wishes and I enclosed a pretty ‘Get Well’ card
too.” Tenna, a stanch Republican, always admired Mrs.
Eisenhower, a fact she insisted had nothing to do with her
political affiliation. “She is a fine woman,” she said, “and I
respect her, regardless of politics.”

The elderly lady lived alone in the home that she had
occupied since 1940, cooking her own meals, doing the daily
cleaning and washing all but heavy articles. She canned
tomatoes, peaches, corn, beans, apples and prunes.

The Sherfey family once lived on a farm along what in now
Austin Springs Road. Her father named her “Tennessee” because
her mother had the privilege of naming their first child,
“Virginia,” the home state of the mother.

The family later moved closer to Johnson City. “Tennessee”
had many fascinating memories of the days when the city was a
village and the population was sparse. She recalled that it a
grand occasion to come to town, riding behind her mother on a
horse. They brought butter and eggs with them to sell, after
which they would use the money to buy groceries before
returning home.

During the 1896-97 school year, a grownup Tenna taught
third grade at Martha Wilder School on Myrtle Avenue, then
considered to be the newest and finest of educational
institutions in the area. She married Charles D. Leighton in
1898 and went with him to live on a farm near Lawrenceburg,
TN. In 1919, the family relocated to California. They returned
to Johnson City after the death of her husband.

“Tennessee” was an avid reader of newspapers and magazines.
She commented that her favorite book was the Bible. She kept
records in the back of it that showed where she had read it
from cover to cover 24 times.

The 93-year-old’s special birthday came and went with
little fanfare, which is the way she wanted it. Her many well
wishes extended from as nearby as her household and as far
away as Washington, DC. The hardy Johnson Citian lived another
12 years, departing this life at the age of 105.

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Documenting the Nostalgic History of Upper East Tennessee

© 2006 Bob L. Cox
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